1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rackets that are used in sports activities such as tennis, racquetball, squash, badminton and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to rackets and stringing devices for rackets that enable the racket to be strung with a plurality of individual strings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many sports that are played with a racket. One of the most popular of these sports is tennis. In the game of tennis, the racket includes an oblong head section supported by a handle. A string is strung back and forth through the head section of the racket, thereby producing a mesh structure. The mesh structure creates the surface that is used in the game to contact the ball.
In the prior art, the head section of rackets are typically manufactured with periodic apertures. To create the mesh structure across the head of the racket, a single unbroken string is woven through the various apertures. As the string is being woven through the apertures in the head section of the racket, the string is kept at a preset tension that is desired by the player.
Since the stringing of a racket with a single string is a complicated process, most players have their rackets professionally strung. A professional stringer typically has a stringing machine that assists in weaving the string through the various apertures in the head section of the racket at the appropriate tension. One problem associated with having a racket professionally strung is that it is expensive and inconvenient. If the racket string breaks during a game, the player can not fix the racket string and continue with the game. Rather, a player must either change rackets or stop playing.
Recreational tennis players often own inexpensive rackets. Commonly, a recreational player can buy a cheap new prestrung racket for less money than it would cost to have their old racket professionally prestrung. However, players with expensive rackets have little choice but to restring their rackets if the string breaks. To help reduce the cost and inconvenience of having rackets professionally restrung, many devices have been developed in the prior art that enable a person to restring their own racket by themselves. Such prior art patents are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,091,654 to Roberts, entitled Apparatus For Stringing Rackets. Although such devices make it possible for a person to string his own racket, the process is still very time and labor extensive. Accordingly, if the racket string breaks during a game, the racket string can not be repaired on the spot. The player must still then either change rackets or stop playing.
When the racket string of a conventional racket breaks, the string becomes loose and leaves the weave pattern. Since only one string is used, the broken string eventually unwinds to a point where the racket is no longer functional. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,459 to Korte-Jungermann, entitled Process For Stringing Rackets For Ball Games And A Device For Carrying Out The Process, a racket stringing system is shown where a racket can be strung with a plurality of different strings. In the Korte-Jungermann patent a different string is used to string each vertical column and horizontal row in the mesh structure. Accordingly, if any one string broke, it would not effect the remaining strings. The device described in the Korte-Jungermann patent uses a rivet sleeve. The individual strings are tensioned through the rivet sleeves. Once at the proper tension, the rivet sleeves are compressed using a crimping tool, wherein the rivet engages the string and holds it at the preset tension. Although the system described in the Korte-Jungermann patent allows individual strings to be used in a racket, the disadvantages are many. In order to use the Korte-Jungermann system, a person must have spare rivet sleeves and a specialized crimping tool to crush the rivets around the racket string. The placement of the rivets on the string and the crimping of the rivets with the crimping tool is a complicated and time consuming procedure. Furthermore, the strength of the crimp holding the string is directly proportional to the skill of the person using the crimping tool, the manufacturing tolerances of the rivet collar and the placement of the rivet collar in the crimping tool. Consequently, the ability of the various crimped rivet collars to retain a racket string will vary from application to application and from time to time.
A need therefore exists in the art for a racket and a racket stringing system that enables a plurality of different strings to be individually applied to a racket head in a quick and easy manner without the use of a crimping tool. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.